PS 3525 
.P195 
S6 
1921 
Copy 1 



^ons0 



ong0 



By 

C:P. McDonald 



New York 

The Richardson Press 

ig2i 






Copyright, 1921 

by 
C. P. McDonald 



JAN -5 1922 
©Cl AG 526 5 



Rose Songs 



The Rose and the Wind 

The Mission of the Rose 

The Rose and the Star 

Go, Fragrant Rose 

The South Wind and the Rose 



The Rose and the Wind 



A 



WILD, pretty rose by a roadside grew, 
A sad little rose and lonely. 
Who was wooed in the dawn by the morning 
dew, 
But who longed for the night-wind only: 
At last came a time when the wind blew by, 
And he whispered his love vows tender: 
"I'll love you forever," she heard him sigh, 
And her heart made complete surrender. 

Alas for the sad little roadside rose. 

Forsaken and left in sorrow. 
For she never would know the great love's 
repose 

That gladdens each new tomorrow ! 
She longed for his coming both night and 
day. 

With a silence that faith discloses; 
Then, faded and wilted, she passed away 

To the haven of blighted roses. 



The Mission of the Rose 



H 



ERE is a red rose still wet with the dew; 
Holding it thus, I surrender to you; 
Press your lips to it and let it impart 
Secrets of love that lie deep in my heart. 

Could I but tell what I cannot disguise, 
You are my dream of the soul's paradise ! 
Mute is its message and silent its plea — 
Ah, love, accept it as coming from me! 

Sweet little rose, it must wither and die. 
Die in the warmth of your answering sigh; 
Love soon will bring its fair life to a close, 
That is the mission of every red rose. 



The Rose and the Star 

A STATELY lily swayed above 
A rose both pure and rare, 

And as he whispered words of love, 
The thistle saw them there. 

He, too, had loved the rose so fair. 
And wooed her from afar; 

But, ah, she looked above to where 
There shone a gleaming star. 

The star ignored the blushing rose. 
Who for his great love sighed; 

And she, in pain each lover knows, 
Drooped on her stem and died! 



Go, Fragrant Rose 



Go, 



fragrant rose, go to my love 
And take this message of the heart: 
Though skies be dark or blue above. 
Tell her she's of my life a part. 

Convey the words I dare not speak — 
God grant my plea be not in vain! 

Confess the answer that I seek 

Will make the world bloom bright again. 

More beautiful than you is she ! 

Go, nestle closely to her breast, 
And bind two hearts in constancy, 

Though neither has its love confessed. 



The South Wind and the Rose 



D 



EAR little bud, with your heart of red, 
Nodding and swaying your pretty head. 
You will come forth from your girlhood 

soon, 
Blossom and bloom as the Queen of June: 
You will be wooed by the daring bee. 
Vowing his love and his constancy. 

Pure little bud, when the South wind blows, 

Telling his faith to each virgin rose. 

He will come by, you will hear his plea, 
Breaking the heart of the constant bee: 

Faithless the wind from the South, you'll 
find, 

Though you believe him — for love is blind. 



Sunshine Songs 



Over the Rim of the World 

Skies of Blue 

You Smiled 

Life's a Bubble 

Fair Days and Rare Days 



Over the Rim of the World 



O 



VER the rim of the world, my own. 

Rises the sun in its splendor. 
Waking the buds by the gay wind blown. 

Telling of love ever tender: 
Rising to-day in the glad skies of blue. 
Changing my visions to day-dreams of you! 

Over my soul comes a great, sweet peace. 

Knowing, whatever befall you. 
Never the song in my heart will cease. 

Ever and ever 'twill call you: 
Into my breast love has stolen its way. 
Just as the sunshine steals into the day! 



Skies of Blue 

>^KIES of blue and eyes of gray, 
I shall love them, come what may: 
Eyes of gray and skies of blue 
Bring me gladness, love, and — you! 

If your eyes were blue, you say, 
And the skies were dull and gray. 
Would I love you — would I seek 
For the roses on your cheek? 

Ah, my dear, that could not be, 
Skies could not be gray for me! 
While I have your heart and eyes, 
Blue will always be the skies ! 

Sun and rain and rain and sun, 

Life for us has just begun! 

Eyes of gray and skies of blue 
Bring me love, content, and — you! 



You Smiled 



Yc 



OU smiled, and o'er the world a great 

light shone, 
The light of love that broke in Eden fair; 
On love's enchanted isle with you alone 
I stood, and watched the sun awaken 

there. 

You smiled, my love, a thousand years ago. 
When you and I first saw love's rainbow 
gleams — 
Or was it yesterday? I do not know 

How many years were passed in rarest 
dreams ! 

You smiled, and o'er me then a great peace 
stole ; 
I read the glad, sweet story in your eyes; 
Those wondrous eyes, the windows to your 
soul, 
Through which I saw life's sun in splendor 
rise ! 



Life's a Bubble 



O. 



", JUST let your care and trouble 

Fade away ; 
Life is but a painted bubble. 

So they say: 
Every heart as light as mine 
Thrills with glory all divine; 
Let the sun come out and shine 

While it may. 

Let the old world swing in gladness 
Through the years ; 

Banish every thought of sadness 
And of fears: 

Send dull care upon its way. 

Make each hour a holiday; 

Life's a debt you cannot pay 
With your tears. 

Let us look for love and laughter, 

You and I ; 
Sweet content will follow after 

If we try: 
While at night the pale moon beams, 
And each day the rainbow gleams. 
We will find the land of dreams 

Bj' and by ! 



Fair Days and Rare Days 

l^AIR days and rare days, the days that 

used to be! 
May time and play time they always were 
to me ! 
Bright days and light days and sunny days 
were they, 
When hearts were true and skies were blue, 
And life a holiday ! 

Sweet days and fleet days, the days that 

used to be ! 
Croon time and rune time they always were 
to me! 
Cheer days and dear days and fairy days 
were they, 
When hearts were young and, all unsung. 
The world at anchor lay ! 

Love days and dove days, the days that are 

to be! 
Kiss time and bliss time your heart will bring 
to me! 
Long days and song days and golden 
days and true. 
When every hour will be a flower 
That blooms for me and you! 



Heart Songs 



My Heart is Dead 

Solitude 

Since You Have Gone 

When Love Must Wait 

A Last Good-By 



My Heart is Dead 



M' 



LY heart is dead. It died, my love, of 
sorrow ; 

No longer could it bear its heavy cross. 
For it there seemed to be no bright tomorrow, 
No moment when it would not feel your 
loss ! 

No hour when grief would not demand its 
measure ; 

No day when love upon its throne would 
reign: 

A fallen kingdom void of rarest treasure, 

A soul immune from further j oy and pain ! 

My heart is dead! Shorn of its priceless 
glory. 
It knows no more the thrill that once it 
knew: 
No longer does it beat its silent story. 
The message of its endless love for you! 



Solitude 

1 N the dark hours of the sleeping night, 
When, wrapped in solitude, I dream of 
you, 

I see you in your raiment of pure white, 
And see you smile as once you used to do. 

I almost seem to hear your stately tread 
Adown the garden pathway come to me. 

I read in your dear eyes a love unsaid. 
And hear your voice in tender sympathy. 

O, queenly girl ! Wherever you may be. 
My heart is aching for you, and a stress 

Of burning tears comes surging over me 
To comfort me in my great loneliness ! 



Since You Have Gone 

I^INCE you have gone, what is the world to 

me? 
Each dreary day seems an eternity. 

Sad is the heart that once you strangely 

thrilled ; 
Today, the voice I loved is hushed and 
stilled : 
I cry aloud in bitter pain and woe 
To see your eyes again with love aglow. 
Ah, cold and cheerless breaks the light of 

dawn 
Since you have gone ! 

Since you have gone, all is a barren waste; 
The joys of life that were have been effaced; 

The stars, that once for me with rapture 
shone. 

Look down in pity on me here alone ! 
Could I but wake to find my dream come 

true. 
To be alone in Paradise with you ! 

Ah, love, how wearily the years roll on 

Since you have gone ! 



When Love Must Wait 

When love is forced to wait in doubt, 
How sweet the moment is at last, 

When every dread is blotted out 
And all the weary longing's past. 

How sweet, how sweet the kisses are 
That lovers win through waiting long; 

When he has fought and traveled far, 

And love has kept her courage strong. 

They do not know the dearest bliss 

Whose love has not been dearly bought; 

There is no sweetness in a kiss 

That is not long and fondly sought. 

How sweet, how sweet the moment is 
When, after woes they sought to shun. 

Her heart beats fondly close to his. 
And love's reward, at last, is won! 



I 



A Last Good-By 

DREAMED that I pressed your girlish 

hand, 
As I did in the old glad days. 
While I walked with you in an unknown land 
Through a tangle of perfumed ways. 

I thought in ray sleep I kissed your cheek 
As we walked through the flowers fair; 

And in the deep twilight I dared not speak, 
So sweet was the silence there. 

I dreamed that you left me tearfully. 
With the shade of a gentle sigh. 

And the darkness fell as you went from me 
With a tremulous last — "Good-by!" 



Love Songs 



O, Glad, Glad Song! 

Kiss But One Rose 
I Know, Sweetheart 

To Call You Mine 
Gipsy Days 



O, Glad, Glad Song! 

1 ONIGHT a song is on the breeze, 
A song that sighs within the trees; 
That sweeps across the skies of blue 
And brings a note both sweet and true, — 
A message from my heart to you. 

O, glad, glad song! Trill on and on 
Throughout the night and greet the dawn. 
Bright dawn that brings my love to me. 
My love of the new day, 
My fair day and rare day. 
My love of the true day 
Will hear my plea. 
And, hearing it, shall come to me! 



Kiss But One Rose 



K 



ISS but one rose, one fair red rose, 

That I may call it mine; 
Were I a king, for such a kiss 

My crown I would resign: 
The fairest rose that buds and grows, 

Pressed to your lips divine. 
Would bloom in rare content and bliss 

To taste so pure a wine! 

Kiss but one rose, one red rose fair, 

To hold unto my breast, 
So that my heart, through all the years, 

May know the boon of rest: 
Held sacred, let it nestle there, 

Its secret unexpressed, 
Be jeweled by the joyous tears 

That von alone have guessed ! 



I Know, Sweetheart 

JlOU ask me why my heart is light 

Whene'er I look into your eyes; 
You wonder if the skies were bright 

When love was born in paradise; 
You ask me if, in years to be, 

My love, like roses, will not die. 
Ah, need you ask such things of me? — 

You know, sweetheart, and so do I ! 

I ask you why my soul is thrilled 

With joy whene'er I hold your hand; 
Just why this world of mine is filled 

With rainbow hues I understand: 
I ask you when your lips I press 

If love will make my dreams come true. 
Ah, for an answer need we guess? — 

I know, sweetheart, and so do you! 



To Call You Mine 

1 O call you mine ! 

To lead you by the hand 
Through barren wastes into life's fairyland; 
To have my heart respond unto your own 
In language neither e'er before has known : 
My rarest dreams I gladly would resign 
To call you mine ! 

To call you mine ! 

To walk alone with you 

Where roses of the past would bloom anew; 
Where stars begem the glory of the skies, 
And life is love and love is paradise: 

For all eternity, through rain and shine — 

To call you mine! 



Gipsy Days 

1 CHANT the praise of gipsy days 

And ways that come with spring, 
When life is free and calls to me 

In rarest fancying: 
Away, away throughout the day 

To where the forest sways; 
Where, idly bent, we pitch our tent 

In the golden gipsy days. 

The sun, agleam upon the stream, 

But mocks the thought of care; 
Through tangled ways the river plays 

As we go faring there: 
Fair skies above, a world to love. 

Wherein each nomad strays 
In solitude and joyous mood 

Through the mellow gipsy days. 



I wish, to express my deep gratitude 
to the Vandersloot Music Publishing 
Company of Williamsport, Pennsyl- 
vania, owners of the original copy- 
rights, for permission to reprint in 
this little volume "Rose Songs," "Sun- 
shine Songs," and "Heart Songs." 
— C. P. McDonald 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

015 940 570 9 < 



